Green Venom
by Slade's Icy Apprentice
Summary: AU. A new Ranger rises in Angel Grove.
1. Prologue

**An idea I've had ever since I stumbled upon a discussion on RangerBoard.**

**What if Jason had been the new guy in town?**

**(First chapter is kinda short, but I'll try to make the others longer. Rating may change!)****  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.****  
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* * *

Tommy took a breath and leapt in the air for another spin kick. He could hear his friends talking behind him. Today was the Martial Arts Expo. He'd been preparing for this for the last two weeks. Well, when they weren't out fighting Rita's monsters. The attacks had been somewhat more frequent as of late. Perhaps Rita was growing agitated at not having been able to defeat the Power Rangers yet. A private grin spread across his face. The Rangers could handle anything she threw at them.

He took a second to compose himself and leapt up once again for another spin kick. His match was up next. His opponent, a guy in green across the room, seemed pretty calm. He practiced a few hand movements, but that was all. Tommy knew he shouldn't underestimate his opponent, but he was confident in his skills and couldn't help thinking he would come out victorious in the end.

"Oh man, it's that guy," He heard his friend Zack say.

"Who's 'that guy'? Do you know him?" Trini asked curiously.

"I don't know his name, but I've seen him around before. He was working on his moves at the juice bar a few days ago. He's really good!" Zack assured them.

"Well how come we haven't seen him around school?" Kimberly asked as she eyed the new guy across from them.

"Dunno. Maybe he just moved here and hasn't registered yet?" Zack reasoned.

"That is a probable explanation," Billy concurred.

"Well he's definitely cute," Kimberly said quitely, sharing a smile with the taller girl in yellow beside her. She turned her head back, eyes riveted to the young man in green across from them.

Tommy looked back at his petite gymnast friend and shook his head with a good natured smile.

"He seems kind of familiar. I don't know what it is, but it's like I should know him somehow," Zack said quietly, a slight frown on his face.

"I know what you mean. It almost feels like I've met him before. But I'm sure this is the first time I've ever seen him," Kimberly agreed.

Tommy focused on the teenager in green across from him. He did seem somewhat familiar to him as well. He couldn't place it, but he felt like he knew that guy from somewhere. He shook his head. Well whoever he was, he had to be pretty good if Zack had said so. He concentrated on his moves a bit more. His match was moments away and he needed to clear his head.

He looked up as his name was called. The match was about to begin. The other boy was stepping forward and taking his place on the mats. The scoreboard finally lit up. His opponent's name was "Jason"…


	2. Karate Maniac

**(I'm borrowing some things from Sailor Moon. Nothing you'd even notice unless you watched the dub though.)  
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_**Italics are thoughts. **_

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Power Rangers.****  
**

* * *

Tommy smiled as his friends gathered around him.

"Man, you were right Zack. He was really good," Tommy admitted.

"You did great too Tommy," Trini said giving him a pat on the arm.

"Thanks. Well I'm gonna go wash up. See you guys at the Juice Bar later?" Tommy asked.

"Sounds good," Zack said taking off with Trini and Billy.

Kimberly followed along slowly, throwing glances over her shoulder at the boy she now knew as Jason. _He is so gorgeous. I hope he shows up to school tomorrow. _Trini threw an arm around her shorter friend's shoulder and they walked out together.

* * *

**The Next Day**

Kimberly rubbed her eyes as she rose from her bed slowly, still half asleep and yawning. She threw the curtains open, squinting just a bit at the stream of sunlight shining through her window. She blinked as she saw a figure in green descend the steps of the house just next to hers. She leaned in just a bit and smiled wide. The person walking away from her neighbour's house was Jason! She knew her neighbours had been preparing to move out, but she hadn't known who was moving in. Maybe she'd actually see Jason in school so she could introduce herself to him. She grinned at the thought and walked over to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day.

**8:00 am Angel Grove High**

Kimberly sighed dejectedly. She'd just seen Jason and his locker was only two down from her own. She'd been about to approach, but he had walked off before she could reach him. She didn't want to look weird running down the hall after him or yelling his name to get his attention. She would just have to hope that she'd catch him at his locker later.

"I heard he got transferred here for beating up some guy at his old school," Kimberly turned her head, having caught the snide remark. A bunch of girls across the hall were watching Jason walk away, laughing and whispering to each other. Kim rolled her eyes. Of course, he'd just moved here and there were already rumors spreading about him.

"Too bad he's psycho case. He's really good looking," Another girl laughed, closing her locker and walking off in the opposite direction with her friends. Kim shook her head with a slight glare at the girls. She grabbed her books and sighed _The day just started, maybe I'll see him again later and get to say hi this time. _The pink clad girl shut her locker and walked off to her first class.

* * *

**Later**

"Zack! Don't tell me you actually believe those rumors," Kimberly said, a scowl evident on her pretty face. She sat back in her seat in the school cafeteria. She hadn't seen Jason since he'd slipped away from her this morning. She gave a small huff at the thought. He was really elusive.

Zack held up his hands in mock surrender. "Just reporting what I heard! They say he beat the crap out of some guy back at his old school in Stone Canyon."

"Well even if it were true, there must have been some reason. I mean, I don't think he'd just attack someone for nothing. Maybe it was self defence," Kimberly insisted.

"Hey guys! What are we talking about?" Tommy asked as he took a seat between Billy and Kimberly.

"If you'd been on time you would know," Trini joked with a soft smile of endearment. Tommy was always late; it was just a fact of life. He returned her smile with a shake of his head.

"We were just talking about the karate maniac," Zack replied, taking a sip of his soda.

"The who?" Tommy asked, a look of confusion coming over his face.

"Martial arts psychopath?" Zack tried again. Tommy's expression remained confused and slightly flabbergasted.

"Zack!" Kimberly threw a napkin at him.

"We were discussing the validity of the fabrication in regards to your opponent in the Martial Arts Expo," Billy supplied by way of explanation.

Tommy, Zack and Kimberly turned confused stares at the genius.

"He means we were talking about the rumors going around about Jason," Trini translated. Billy nodded with a slight blush. "Precisely."

"What rumors?" Tommy asked curiously.

"That he's a nut that got transferred from his old school for beating up some dude really bad," Zack informed.

Tommy shook his head. "Jase? He's not a nut. I don't know if the rumors are true, but he seemed pretty nice to me. He's supposed to meet me at the Juice Bar after school to work out."

Kimberly perked up at this announcement. "Jason's meeting you at Ernie's later? When did you talk to him? I haven't seen him around school at all."

"Just before I got here. I think he's going home for lunch. He said he's gotta help his parents move a few more things," Tommy replied.

* * *

**After School**

Kimberly bit her lip as she rummaged through her locker. It was just after last period and she had rushed out of class in hopes that she'd meet Jason before going home. Hopefully he wouldn't have left without stopping by his locker first. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure approaching. _It's Jason! _She put her pink folder away and turned her head left, meeting his eyes.

"Um, hi, I'm Kimberly," Kim smiled brightly, extending a hand.

The boy in green shook her hand. "I'm Jason. It's nice to meet you Kimberly," He replied, smiling back at her.

"So, how's the move going? I live in the house right next to yours," Kim said, pulling her hand back, smile still bright.

"Still going. But there's not much left," Jason replied.

"I could help out, if you needed a hand or anything," Kimberly offered shyly.

"Move it steroid boy," Bulk said, shoving Jason back and taking his place in front of Kimberly.

"Yeah move it!" Skull repeated pushing past him to stand beside Bulk. "Hey babe, need a big strong man to walk you home?" He puffed out his chest and flexed his arm.

"Actually," Jason said, closing his locker and walking around the bullies to stand next to Kim. "I'm walking her home."

"I think muscle brain needs to be taught a lesson," Bulk replied with a sneer, Skull nodded mutely and snapped his teeth at Jason. Bulk raised his arm intending to grab Jason's shirt, until a strong hand closed over his wrist tightly.

"Now, why don't you two guys walk away," Jason answered, increasing the pressure, seeing the bigger bully wince and try in vain to pry his arm back. He let go abruptly as Bulk tugged his hand back hard, knocking into Skull and sending them both sprawling to the floor.

"W-we'll teach you that lesson later then," Bulk stammered and he and Skull scrambled to their feet and scurried off.

Kimberly closed her locker giggling quietly. "So, you were walking me home?" she asked sweetly, smiling up at Jason.

"If the pretty girl doesn't mind some company," Jason looked down at his petite companion, smiling in response.

Kimberly giggled again, blushing slightly and tugging a lock of hair behind her ear. "Not at all. Let's go."

They walked off down the hall laughing together.

**TBC**

_**Review? :D  
**_


	3. The Sixth Power Coin

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

* * *

'_If the pretty girl doesn't mind some company?' What am I, in a western? I need to start reading from a script. _Jason thought, shaking his head at himself.

"So, um, how come you and parents moved to Angel Grove? Most people try to steer clear because of all the monster attacks and stuff, " Kim prompted.

"Wanna know if the rumors are true?" Jason asked with a slight smirk. Kim ducked her head slightly, smile sheepish.

"Well, a few friends of mine were having issues with a guy from school. I told him lay off, but, he wouldn't listen. One day he got really pissed and shattered his hand when he put a dent in my locker after I ducked. We both got suspended for it, only I never went back. The house was already sold and we were moving before my suspension was up," Jason explained.

Kim nodded in understanding, then, let out a queit sigh at seeing her house come into view. _We live way too close to school._

"So if you still need an extra hand or anything, I can help out and then we can go to the Youth Center and meet the others," Kim suggested.

"Thanks Kim, but there's really not much to do around here; I just need to help my dad move some boxes into the garage. You can go ahead without me and I'll meet you there in about an hour," Jason replied.

"Okay, well, I'm just gonna put my bag away before I go. I'll tell Tommy and the guys that you'll meet us a little later," Kim said as she opened her front door. She gave a tiny wave and walked in, closing the door behind her. Jason watched her go with a smile on his lips before turning and entering his garage.

* * *

**The Moon Palace**

"Now is the perfect chance to test Jason. If he proves his worth against my putties, he will become my evil Green Ranger!" Rita exclaimed, an ugly grin spreading on her face.

"A perfect plan! An evil Ranger to destroy the Power Rangers once and for all!" Goldar exclaimed.

Rita cackled and ran her hands over a crystal ball as she began chanting an ancient spell.

* * *

**Angel Grove Park**

Jason took a sip of water as he walked through the park. He was meeting up with Kimberly and her friends at the Youth Center. Jason wasn't typically a shy person, but he hadn't really met any of Kim's friends except Tommy. He wasn't sure how they'd react to him; especially with the rumors spreading around school. Hopefully they'd be as nice as Kimberly was. He smiled a little at the thought of the smaller girl in pink. She was really friendly and totally understanding. She'd introduced herself and hadn't judged him based solely on what she'd heard.

He came to an abrupt halt as a group of putties suddenly appeared before him. He knew about these things. He'd seen news reports; though he had no idea why they'd be attacking him. He looked around and took count of how many there were. He dropped his bag as 6 putties closed in on him. Thinking quick, he splashed one putty in the face with his water and smacked another one with the bottle itself. One of the putties took hold of him from behind and pulled him back. Jason used the momentum to lift his legs and kicked another putty in front of him. He dropped his legs and used his elbow to jab the putty holding him.

He got loose and ducked a punch aimed at his head, then dropped low and swiped the putty off its legs. He stood up and kicked another putty in the chest. He grunted as felt two putties grab his arms and throw him against a tree. The boy in green struggled as he was pinned. Another putty took a couple of shots at him as he tried to free himself. Jason heaved with all his strength and managed to free one of his arms. He used that hand to pry the other putty off and kick it away, then threw his elbow to the side and into the face of another putty.

A putty came rushing at him and he aimed an uppercut to its jaw. The impact sent the putty sprawling to the ground. In a flash of gold light, the putty dissolved. _Well, that's one down. _He thought as he took a breath and leaped in the air with a spin kick. They weren't that tough, but they came in large groups and attacked as a unit.

He knocked another two putties back with swift, back to back kicks. One putty crashed into a tree and dissolved in the same gold light. He grabbed the putties closest to him and bashed them into each other. He let go of them and they fell backward stunned. He stomped on the one to his left and watched as It too, disappeared in golden light. The other got its feet and lunged at him with a kick. He gripped his abdomen. That one had been harder. He wondered briefly if putties got angry. He smirked slightly at his own thoughts and grabbed the putty's foot as it aimed another kick at him. He twisted its foot and watched it fall down hard. He ducked the blow from another putty and jabbed it in the back so that it fell on its companion. The last putty managed a swipe to his face. But Jason was able to deflect the next hit and kick it viciously in the head. The last putty collapsed, and as one, the three putties at his feet glowed and vanished.

Jason shook his head as he walked up to his fallen gym bag. He stopped short as another figure suddenly appeared before him; a woman with a very strange head piece and a staff. Jason eyed her skeptically as she grinned strangely at him.

"You fought very well Jason. Better than I could have hoped; which is why you will now join me. You will be my evil Green Ranger!"

Jason took a step back. Before he could think to formulate a response, the witch pointed her staff at him. A stream of green light shot out and hit him square in the chest. The glow engulfed his whole body as he looked on in surprise. Within moments, he and Rita had vanished from the park, leaving only a discarded water bottle and a green gym bag behind.

* * *

**Youth Center**

"I wonder what's taking him so long. He said he'd meet us here in an hour, but it's been almost 2," Kimberly said, glancing at the clock and back to the entrance.

"Well maybe something came up," Zack replied.

"Looks like muscle brain lost something," Bulk smirked, entering the Juice Bar with Skull, Jason's green gym bag in hand. Skull snickered, sitting down and making a grab for the bag as Bulk set it down.

Kimberly looked over at the bullies, eyes narrowed. She'd heard what they said. She got up from her seat and approached them.

"Hey babe, come to see me?" Skull snapped his gum, smiling crudely at the gymnast. She screwed up her face in mild disgust.

"How did you two get your hands on Jason's gym bag?"

"Why should we tell you anything dork?" Bulk sneered at her, plopping down in his seat and tugging the bag out of Skull's grip. He pulled the zipper open and reached in. Kimberly narrowed her eyes at the large bully and took hold of the straps on the green gym bag, lifting it off the table.

"Hey! Hands off dweeb. We found it and now it's ours," Bulk snatched the bag back.

"Yeah! It's ours!" Skull repeated.

Tommy walked up beside Kimberly. "What's going on?"

"These two pea brains have Jason's bag," Kimberly said, looking at Tommy and rolling her eyes.

Tommy grabbed the bag back out of Bulk's hand and Kimberly snatched the towel they'd pulled out of the bag from Skull's. "I don't know how you guys got Jason's bag. But I'm taking it back to him," Kimberly said as Tommy handed her the gym bag. She and Tommy turned and walked back to their table.

"Fine! We didn't want the stupid bag anyway!" Bulk called after them. Skull threw straws at their retreating backs.

* * *

**The Moon Palace**

Jason squirmed uncomfortably. He was cocooned in some dark room. He could just make out the distant glow of candles in the background. It was hard to see and becoming harder to breathe as the time passed. He'd been wrapped this way for at least 5 minutes. He was sure he'd run out of air if he didn't free himself soon. He grunted, trying to tear through whatever had him trapped. He could hear quiet chanting in the background. Soon, the chanting grew louder until it felt like it was vibrating within his cocoon. Jason inhaled sharply as he felt energy pulse though him, like an electrical current under his skin. He shut his eyes feeling it searing his blood. The cocoon started to loosen, until it fell away from him in shambles, then evaporated in green mist. It should have been easier to breathe now that he was no longer trapped, but instead he found it more difficult. What little air he managed to breathe was freezing cold. It felt like gulping shards of ice as it stabbed his lungs. He gave up altogether and felt darkness settle over him slowly.

Rita walked around the prone form of her captive. A pleased smile forming as she ran a hand over his muscled arm. He was perfect. She pulled back and walked around to the front, watching as her Ranger rose. The boy opened his eyes and leveled his gaze on the witch. His eyes flickered and glowed entirely green.

"Finally you're awake. It's time! You will hold the sixth power coin and with it, become my evil Green Ranger!" Rita cackled. "Step forward and receive your power!" She held her palm out, a golden coin appearing there and glinting sinisterly in the candlelight. Jason rose purposefully and stepped before his queen. He placed his hand over her palm and closed his fingers over the coin. It sizzled and turned green before reverting back to its golden hue.

"The power is yours now, and with it, you will destroy the Power Rangers. But first you must return to Earth before you are missed," Rita said meeting his green stare. Jason bowed his head just slightly before turning his gaze up to hers again. His eyes flickered twice before settling back to their original colour.

"You will know when I summon you."

"Of course, Empress," He said, coin gripped tightly in his fist. She nodded and sent him back to earth.

Jason reappeared in the park. He took a look around but couldn't locate his bag, so he decided to forget about it and return home. He hadn't had anything important in there. Besides, he had a greater purpose now that demanded his attention. He would learn the identities of the Power Rangers, see to it that they suffered, and lastly, met their demise by his hand.

**TBC**


	4. Into Darkness

**A/N: I added a few minor details to chapter 2. If you want to go back and re-read, you can do that. Otherwise, it's not really important. Just want to point out that Jason and Tommy tied their match. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.**

* * *

Kim sighed, hefting the straps of Jason's gym bag over her left shoulder. Jason hadn't shown up at all, but he had left his gym bag somewhere and Bulk and Skull had found it. She didn't know why Jason hadn't made it to the Juice Bar; she just hoped he was alright.

She made it up to her front yard and stopped as she noticed someone standing on the front porch of her neighbor's house. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd just changed his mind about hanging out with her. She put on a tentative smile as she approached the boy in green.

"Jason you're alright," Kim said as she stood near the steps leading up to the house.

The taller boy stood above her, arms folded over his chest. He looked down at her for a moment before replying. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Kim faltered, gripping the straps and adjusting them. "Bulk and Skull said they found your bag and you never showed, so I just got kinda worried," She pulled the straps off her shoulder and held the bag out to him.

Jason uncrossed his arms and grabbed the straps forcefully out of the girl's hand.

"Well as you can see, Kimberly, I'm just fine," Jason replied coldly, turning around and heading towards the front door. Kimberly stared at his retreating back.

"Jason wait, is something wrong? Did something happen cause—"

"Nothing happened Kim," He set his bag down, turned and walked back over. He leaned over slightly to look at the smaller girl. "I just had better things to do."

Kimberly took a step back, looking both hurt and confused. "Sorry I even asked," she shook her head and turned her back on him walking toward her own house. Jason gave a slight smirk behind her back then turned and entered his own house. The door fell shut behind him and Kimberly looked over to see he was gone. She frowned but shook her head slowly and headed into her house. Something was definitely up.

* * *

**The Next Day **

**Angel Grove High**

"What do you mean he was acting weird?" Trini asked, she stood beside her friend as Kimberly took a book out of her locker.

Just then, Jason strode up to his locker, not looking at the two girls or acknowledging their presence at all.

Kimberly looked at Trini pointedly. She took a breath and turned to Jason, hoping that he'd greet her nicely, but already knowing on some level that his attitude hadn't changed.

"So… Jason, this is my friend Trini," She said, looking at him expectantly.

"I really don't care," Jason replied, his gaze not leaving his locker. The two girls frowned as they watched him take his books out and close his locker once again. Jason turned his gaze to them and focused on the petite gymnast. "By the way, I'll be busy after school, so I really don't have time to waste walking you home. Oh but don't worry Kimberly, you're a big girl, I'm sure you can find your way," Jason replied sarcastically as he moved past them and walked off.

**Cafeteria**

"Look, no offense Kim, but you really don't know Jason that well. I mean you just met him yesterday. Maybe he's always like that," Zack reasoned.

Kimberly shook her head. "I'm telling you Zack, something is wrong. He was really nice when I talked to him after school and we walked home together. Then last night, it's like he was a totally different person."

"I don't know Kim, I want to agree with you, but Zack's right. We don't really know Jase. Maybe he was just putting up a front when we talked to him," Tommy added.

"But why would he do that? Why pretend to be nice to us and then just suddenly be really rude?" Kimberly asked. "It doesn't make sense. Something else has to be going on you guys," Kimberly said with conviction.

"Maybe that's how he gets his kicks," Zack joked. "Get it? Kicks, cause he's the karate maniac?" Zack laughed then stopped when no one else joined in.

"Perhaps Jason's absence yesterday and the appearance of his gym bag in the hands of Bulk and Skull may lend answers as to his sudden change in demeanor," Billy said, looking around at his friends. They stared blankly at him.

"You mean you think Jason not showing up and Bulk and Skull finding his bag may have something to do with his strange behavior Billy?" Trini asked, clarifying for her friends.

Billy nodded. "It's just a hypothesis, but yes, I think that might explain why."

"Well I already tried asking what was wrong, but Jason won't even talk to me. He just insults me or brushes me off completely," Kim said frustrated.

"Hey, don't worry about it Kim, I'll talk to Jase," Tommy said reassuringly, Kim nodded dismally.

**After School**

Kimberly and Trini were on their way outside when their communicators beeped. The two girls looked around and ducked into a deserted hallway.

Jason stopped short as he saw Kimberly and her friend dash into another hallway. He followed quietly, keeping enough distance so as not to be seen. He focused intently on the bracelet Kimberly was speaking into. A deep voice suddenly sounded. '_Now why would sweet little Kimberly have one of those?' _Jason listened carefully. The voice's name was Zordon and he was instructing the girls to rush to the park. Jason smiled darkly as he saw the girls disappear in beams of yellow and pink.

Before he could turn to leave, a voice sounded in his head.

'_**Green Ranger! There is one last trial you must face. If you succeed, your reward will be great. But first, I summon you to the moon.' **_

His smile grew as he vanished in green light. He reappeared a moment later in Rita's throne room on the moon. He looked around and growled at Squatt and Baboo who flinched away from him.

"The Rangers are in Angel Grove Park fighting my putties. If you are to destroy them, you must first learn their identities. Tommy, their leader, the Red Ranger, Kimberly- " Rita said.

"The Pink Ranger and Trini the Yellow Ranger. No doubt their other two friends are Power Rangers as well," Jason said confidently.

Rita smiled evilly, nodding. "Yes, Billy the Blue Ranger and Zack the Black Ranger."

Jason nodded and turned towards his queen. "What trial must I face?"

"You must retrieve the Sword of Darkness from my Tenebrous Labyrinth, using only your skills as a warrior and nothing else. With the Sword of Darkness, you will be nearly indestructible. The Power Rangers will stand no chance to defeat you," Rita intoned gleefully.

Jason clenched his fists in anticipation. "I'm ready, my Empress."

"Your power coin," She said expectantly, a hand outstretched. Jason retrieved his coin and placed it in her palm, a look of steely determination on his face. He could do this without his powers. He'd prove he could wield the Sword of Darkness and bring the Rangers and the world to its knees.

* * *

**Tenebrous Labyrinth**

Jason surveyed the area as he landed. The labyrinth seemed entirely constructed of old stone. It was deathly quiet with very little light. Every corner was shrouded in a dark mist. If he went too close, he could feel it cling to his skin. It was a bit cold and oddly sticky. He examined his arm and noticed the mist had left a light film of slime behind. He wiped it off on his pant leg. The corners were so deep and the mist so thick, he wasn't sure he'd be able to come out of it if he went in. He made a mental note to give it a wide berth.

'_If this is a labyrinth, the Sword of Darkness is probably going to be right in the center. I'll need to remember how I got there if I want to make it back,' _He thought of how he could mark his way and re-examined the mist. He stuck two fingers inside and brought them away, noticing the dark residue left on them. He swiped his fingers against the smooth stone of the wall and noticed the mark he left behind. _'This should work well enough.' _He dipped his fingers back in and began leaving a trail as he made his way deeper within the stone walls of the labyrinth.

**The Moon Palace**

"What if Jason doesn't make it out of the Tenebrous Labyrinth, your Evilness?"

"That is why I kept the Green Ranger coin. If Jason fails to retrieve the Sword of Darkness and find his way out, he will be left there to die and the coin will be in my safe keeping until I choose another worthy of its power," Rita revealed.

"Of course! The Sword of Darkness must be earned! This trial will prove if Jason is truly meant to be the Green Ranger and destroy the Power Rangers once and for all!" Goldar exclaimed, throwing his sword arm up.

**Tenebrous Labyrinth**

Jason looked up as he spotted a putty approaching him. He flung it hard into the stone wall across from him. This was no ordinary putty. Usually a few good hits would have dissolved them. He aimed a powerful kick to the putty's chest, it staggered backward and suddenly split, a new putty emerging. Jason took a step back as he now faced two enemies. He snarled in anger. All he had were his limbs, those wouldn't be enough to destroy these things. He needed to think of another solution fast.

Jason leaped up and kicked both putties back, watching as one stumbled into the black mist and struggled to free itself. It sank away into nothingness. Jason smirked slightly eying the remaining putty. He moved forward and grabbed the putty by the elbow, flinging it away with a kick and watching it drown in the black mist.

He dipped his fingers back into the inky black substance and left another mark as he continued down the stone corridors.

**Moon Palace**

"The Super Putties are nearly indestructible!" Baboo exclaimed in astonishment.

"He figured out how to get rid of them!" Squatt added in amazement.

"Yes, he is definitely impressive. Sheer force is not enough to defeat those pesky power brats. But if he's able to out think them, we may finally be rid of those pests and the world will fall soon after," Rita said eerily calm, watching Jason's progress with growing admiration.

Goldar watched in silence, also impressed, but not quite willing to voice it. The Super Putties may not have been much of a threat to a warrior such as himself, but to a human, especially one deprived of the power or other means necessary to not only defend himself against them, but actually incapacitate them, they should have been more than a match. The fact that the earthling had fended them off and quickly thought of a way to dispose of them, was nearly unthinkable.

* * *

**TBC**

**A/N: I never liked how they handled the thing with the sword of darkness. Tommy already fought a bunch of putties, what was the point of making him fight some more to prove he was worthy of the sword of darkness? That was just entirely too easy, which is why I'm putting it in a labyrinth and adding super putties instead. They weren't destroyed, (canon dictates the rangers needed special weapons to defeat them) Jason just thought of a clever way of getting them off his back. **


	5. The Sword of Darkness

**A/N: I don't have a beta btw. Any and all mistakes are mine but hopefully I can manage without one. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

* * *

A good way of figuring out if he was on the right path was the constant intrusions by putties. He'd be lucky to walk a whole ten minutes without encountering at least one of them. Worse yet, they all had the annoying penchant of ambushing him somehow. They could never just approach him. They were little more than nuisances by this point. He knew he couldn't defeat them, but he had the mist at his disposal. That was his weapon and something even super putties couldn't hope to escape. The difficulty came with long corridors. The misty corners were sometimes too far to reach. He'd have to maneuver them closer. That consumed far more energy than he would have liked. Their numbers were another problem. They just kept coming.

As he walked he became aware of a shift beneath his feet. The stone path was rumbling just slightly. He'd noticed it gradually as it became more and more unstable. He continued walking, unconcerned with the steady tremble in the ground. He took this to signify that he was reaching his destination. Soon he'd have the Sword of Darkness within his grasp. Now he just had to wait and see at what price.

**Moon Palace**

"He's almost there. Once he has the sword, he'll be my Green Ranger forever," Rita stated gleefully, watching with rapt attention as Jason drew closer to his prize.

"But if the Sword of Darkness is destroyed, the spell will be broken. Zordon knows this," Finster reminded.

"That is true. Well then, we will just have to dispose of that fool," Rita concluded.

**Angel Grove Park**

"That's it? We fight a few putties and it's over?" Zack asked incredulously surveying the deserted park before him.

"That was way too easy. Rita must just be toying with us," Tommy said walking towards his friends. "She probably has something bigger planned for later."

"You're probably right," Trini nodded.

"Well I better get home. I still have to finish my social studies paper for tomorrow and I am going to need all the energy I can get," Kimberly said smoothing out her skirt.

"Oh yeah! The social studies paper," Tommy shook his head. "I completely forgot about that. I haven't even started it yet. I better get home and finish it before Rita tries anything else."

"You guys want to hang out at the Youth Center for a while?" Zack asked Billy and Trini.

"That sounds like an agreeable course of action. I've already completed all my assignments," Billy replied with a nod.

"Yeah I finished my homework too," Trini smiled as Zack's confusion faded. "Okay, let's go. See you later guys," Trini called to the Red and Pink Rangers.

"Meet us there when you finish," Zack added as he walked away with Trini and Billy.

"I'll walk with you, my house isn't far from yours anyway," Tommy said to Kim. She smiled with a slight nod and they walked off.

**Tenebrous Labyrinth **

Jason came to a stop as he entered the very center for the labyrinth. The Sword of Darkness lay perched on a golden mantle rising out of the ground. Roots protruded from the ground, winding around the stand and shying just away from touching the sword itself. He studied it carefully as he took a step forward.

The sword lay still, reflecting brilliant light from the sharp silver surface of the blade. His instincts told him there was more at play than what there seemed to be. There had to be some sort of defence around the sword to keep intruders from seizing it. He took a few more steps forward and studied the sword at closer range. It was a beautifully crafted and radiated power even from this distance. It drew him closer just as it warned him to retreat.

He reached a hand out tentatively, just a finger length away from his prize. His eyes moved downward to investigate the vines. They were slowly rising up toward his fingers. He made a move to pull his arm away but was startled to find the vines rush up suddenly and wrap around his wrist. Smaller vines coiled around his fingers, keeping them immobile. Jason clenched his teeth as he fought to pull his arm back or curl his fingers; anything to regain control of his movements.

The vines tightened their hold in response, an odd low hiss emitting as he stuck the fingers on his other hand in for purchase, attempting to tear them away. He felt the familiar coiling around his left leg and glanced down to find more vines wrapping around his lower body. He gave an angered grunt and thrust his left arm forward, quickly taking hold of the sword. A green light surrounded the blade briefly and traveled up and down his arm. He noticed more vines materializing, trying in vain to attach themselves to his sword arm. He pulled it up defiantly out of their reach.

With a quick motion, he brought the blade down and slashed the biggest vine coiled around his right arm. He had to be very careful. With only his left arm to wield his weapon with, he could damage himself as well as his enemy. The vine emitted a loud hiss and retreated from the blow. A dark green, ooze left behind from the gash he had inflicted. He continued to hack at the vines, with measured strokes. He then turned his attention downward to the vines at his feet. He slashed one off but was surprised to find it lash back at him. It grabbed onto the sword, pulling it from his grasp and holding it just out of his reach.

With an angered yell, Jason clenched his teeth and extended his left arm as much as he could. He managed to grab hold of the hilt of the sword and tugged it away with as much strength as he could expend. The vines lost their grip on the sword and with a mad slash, he hacked it down. The vine fell to the ground writing. Jason continued to slash as the vines imprisoning him until they had all either fallen off or retreated. He stepped back from the altar, gripping the sword in his fist. He held it up to his face and admired the weapon at close range. His reflection looked back at him from the cold steel of the blade. His eyes glowed green briefly in pleasure, as he lowered the sword and ran a hand over it reverently.

Lowering his arm he took one last look around, noticing the remains of the vines still writing on the ground, a distant hiss sounding from the severed limbs. He sneered and turned away, beginning his trek back out of the labyrinth. He noticed the marks he'd left with the black mist, were beginning to fade. If they faded completely before he'd managed to reach the entrance, it would not bode well for him. He quickened his pace, keeping a watchful eye around him for any more surprises.

He rounded a corner and stopped right before a squadron of more putties. They all charged at him at once. 'That's new. Usually they're too stupid to attack together.' He smirked and raised the Sword of darkness, cutting them down as they neared him. Once the last putty had broken and dissolved, he once again admired his new sword. No one would stand in his way.

He strode purposefully towards the entrance of the maze. He reached it without further interruption. It would seem his test was complete. He raised his arm, the blade sticking straight up into the sky.

"It is done Empress!" He felt a rush of green energy engulf him and transport him away. It was time to test just how much damage he could really do.

* * *

**A/N: So it's been a while since I updated. It was difficult writing this chapter. I wanted to convey how difficult it would be for Jason to prove himself and earn the Sword of Darkness, but I didn't want to overdo it. You can be the judge of that now. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. :)**


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